Inverted drum for wire-drawing machines.



J. A. HORTON. INVERTED DRUM FOR WIRE DRAWING MACHINES.

APPLICATION HLED APR.8. 1918. 1,Q91,892. Patented Jan. 21,1919.

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Patented Jan. 21, 1919.

1. A. HORTON. INVERTED DRUM FOR WIRE DRAWING MACHINES. APPLICATION men APR.B, 191s.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES A. HORTON, OF BELMONT, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO CLINTON WIRE CLOTI-I COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

INVERTED DRUM FOR WIRE-DRAWING MACHINES.

Application filed April 8, 1918.

J '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES A. HORTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Belmont, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Inverted Drums for Vile-Drawing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to inverted wiredrawing drums which receive wraps of wire from the drawing drums of a wire-drawing machine, and discharge the wraps downwardly, the wraps being accumulated in the form of a coil below the drum, and the coil being supported during its formation by a yielding support which is caused to move downwardly by the increasing weight of the coil, and from which the completed coil is removable.

The invention relates chiefly to the coil support, and isembodied in the several improvements which I will hereafter describe and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification,-

Figure 1 is a top plan view of one end portion of a wire-drawing machine and an inverted dlrum, embodying the invention forming a part of the machine.

Fig. 2 is a section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Figs. 3 and 4 are fragmentary elevations, each showing a portion of the inverted drum, one of the projections thereon, and one of the guide rods attached to the drum.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of one of the coil-supporting arms shown by Figs. 1 and 2, removed from the machine.

Fig. 6 is a side View; and

Fig. 17 an end View of said coil-supporting arm.

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 5, showing the arm in the position it occupies when displaced to contract the coil support.

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 3, showing in addition a portion of the head member of the coil support, and an end view of one of the coil-supporting arms, said arm being viewed from the side opposite that shown in Fig. 7.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all of the figures.

In the drawings, 12 represents a portion of the frame of a wire-drawing machine, to which is attached a bracket 13, projecting fromone end of the frame.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 21, 1919. Serial No. 227,164. v

To the bracket 13 is suitably attached a fixed bearing or hollow dead stud 14, on which is journaled the hub 15 of an inverted drum 16, adapted to accumulate wraps 17 of wire and discharge the same downwardly, the drum being driven by suitable means, includingas here shown, a gear 18, keyed to the hub 15, and another gear 19, meshing with the gear 18.

Below the inverted drum is a vertically movable, contractible coil support, adapted, when expanded, to prevent removal of a coil of wire accumulated thereon, and, when contracted, to permit such removal. The coil support is supported by yielding means normally sustaining it in a raised position, and permitting its depression by the weight of the coil. I

In accordance with my invention, I pro vide automatic means operable by the elevation of the support to expand the latter and maintain it operatively expanded when the support is raised, the support being manually contractible when depressed, to permit the removal of the coil therefrom. The coil support is so engaged. with the drum that it rotates therewith while free to move vertically relatively thereto.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention shown by the drawings, the coil support includes a preferably circular plate or head 20, located below the drum and journaled on a vertical rod 21 which projects upwardly through the dead stud 141, the latter being hollow, and provided at its upper end with a collar 22 bearing on the upper end of a helical spring 23, the lower end of which is seated on a flange 24 at the lower end of the dead stud 14. A nut 24 on the lower end of the rod 21, supports an annular ball race 25, which in turn supports a series of anti-friction balls 26, on which rides an upper ball race 27, rotatable with the head 20.

To the drum 16 are affixed downwardly projecting guide rods 28 which pass through orifices formed for their reception in the head 20, said rods guiding the head in its vertical movements and causing it to rotate with the drum.

The head 20 forms the base or inner portion of the coil support, the outer or acting portion of the support contacting with the coil being provided by a plurality of oscillatory arms 29. Each arm is provided with are a series of pro ections32, each having an inclined face 33, the faces 31 and 33 being complemental to each other. The projections 32 are formed to surround the guide rods 28.

Vhen the above-described coil support is raised, as shown by full lines in Fig. 2, the inclined faces 33 of the drum projections bear on the inclined faces 31 of the arms, and cause said arms to project radially outward, the outer end portions of the arms projecting from the perimeter of the drum. The arm faces 31 are firmly held by the spring 23 against the projection faces 33, so that the arms are prevented from swinging on the guide rods 28. When the coil support is depressed, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2, the arms are separated from the projections 32, and are free to be moved manually to the position indicated by 29*, Fig. 1. When the arm 29 is swung to the last-mentioned position, it is removed from contact with the coil, and no longer supports the latter. It will be seen therefore, that, by thus swinging or displacing a suitable number of the arms 29, the removal of the coil is permitted. There may be any number of arms 29, four being here shown, although in practice, three will be a suflicient number. It is not necessary to displace each of the arms, the displacement of one or two of the arms being sufficient to release the coil.

When the coil is removed, the coil support is raised by the spring 23. When the inclined faces 31 of the displaced arms abut against the inclined faces 33 of the drum projections, as indicated by full lines in Fig. 9, said faces cooperate in swinging the displaced arms outwardly to their outer posi tions, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 9, the coil support being, therefore, automatically expanded and rendered operative.

To prevent vertical displacement of the arms relatively to the plate 20, I provide each of the arm hubs 30 with an arcuate flange 35, slidably engaged with a holdingdown ear 36 attached to the head 20, the

form and relative arrangement of the flange 35 and ear 36 being such that they are interengaged, not only when the arms are radial, as shown by Fig. 5, but also when they are displaced, as shown by Fig. 8.

To cushion the upward movement of the coil support, and raise the same without a shock or jar, I provide a dash-pot, composed of an annular piston member 37 attached to a fixed support, such as the dead stud 14:,-

and an annular cylinder member 38, formed in an enlargement of the head 20, the form and arrangement of said members being such that when the coil support approaches the upper end of its movement, the member 37 enters the member 38 so that a cushion of compressed air is formed, which prevents a shock or jar when the coil support reaches the end of its upward movement. The dash-pot member 38 may be provided with a valved vent or pet-cock 39, which enables the air to be liberated from the dashpot, in case this becomes desirable.

The drum 16 is provided with a series of stop rods 40, ing movements of the arms 29, each rod 40 being arranged, as indicated by dotted lines at the right hand portion of Fig. 1, to abut against the arm 29 when the latter is in its operative position, and against one end of an arcuate flange 35, when the arm is displaced. The stop rods 40, therefore, prevent the arms from swinging in either direction, far enough to disengage the flanges 35 from the holding-down ears 36.

The machine may be provided with curved guard rail 11, formed and arranged to prevent injury to operators by the projecting arms 29.

The yielding means sustaining the coil support may be embodied in. a series of springs 23 mounted on the guide rods 28, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2. These springs may be substituted for the spring 23. or may be used in conjunction therewi 1 claim:

1. In a wire-drawing machine, in combination, an inverted drum adapted to dis charge a coil of wire downwardly, a vertically movable contractible coil support below the drum, adapted, when expanded, to pre-. vent removalolf the coil from the support and, when contracted, to permit such removal, and yielding means normally sustaining the support in a raised position and permitting its depression by the weight of the coil, auto matic means operable by the elevation of the support being provided to expand the latter, and maintain it operatively expanded when the support is raised, the support being man ually contractible when depressed.

2. In a wire-drawing machine, in combination, an inverted drum adapted to discharge a coil of wire downwardly, a vertically movable contractible coil support below the drum, adapted, when expanded, to prevent removal of the coil from the support and, when contracted, to permit such removal, said support including oscillatory arms adapted to be swung outwardly to expand the support, and inwardly to contract the same, and yielding means normally sustaining the support in a raised position, and permitting its depression by the weight of the coil, automatic means operable by the elevation of the support being provided to swing said arms outwardly to their operative positions and confine them in said positions arranged to limit the swing- I when the support is raised said arms being manually movable to their inoperative positions when the support is depressed.

3. In a wire-drawing machine, in combination, an inverted drum adapted to discharge a coil of wire downwardly and provided with downwardly projecting coil support guides, a vertically movable, expansible and contractible coil support below the drum, adapted, when expanded, to prevent removal of the coil, and, when contracted, to permit such removal, said support including arms adapted to slide on said guides and to be swung thereon outwardly to expand the support, and inwardly to contract the same, and yielding means normally sustaining the support in a raised position and permitting its depression by the weight of the coil, automatic means, operable by the elevation of the support, being provided, to swing said arms outwardly to their operative positions, and confine them in said positions while the support is raised, the arms being manually movable to their inward positions when the support is depressed.

l. In a wire-drawing machine, in combination, an inverted drum adapted to discharge a coil of wire downwardly and provided with downwardly projecting coil support guides, a vertically movable, expansible and contractible coil support below the drum, adapted, when expanded, to prevent removal of the coil, and, when contracted, to permit such removal, said support including arms adapted to slide on said guides and to be swung thereon outwardly to expand the support, and inwardly to contract the same, yielding means normally sustaining the support in a raised position and permitting its depression by the weight of the coil, automatic means, operable by the elevation of the support, being provided, to swing said arms outwardly to their operative positions, and confine them in said positions while the support is raised, the arms being manually movable to their inward positions when the support is depressed, and stops carried by the drum and arranged to limit the movement of the arms. 7

5. In a wire-drawing machine, in combination, an inverted drum adapted to discharge a coil of wire downwardly, a vertically movable contractible coil support below the drum, adapted, when expanded, to prevent removal of the coil from the support, and, when contracted, to permit such removal, yielding means normally sustaining the support in a raised position and permitting its depression by the weight of the coil, automatic means operable by the elevation of the support being provided to expand the latter, and maintain it operatively expanded when the support is raised, the support being manually contractible when depressed, and a dash-pot adapted to cushion the upward movement of the coil support, and including a fixed member on the machine and a mpvable member carried by the coil support.

6. In a wire-drawing machine, in combination, an inverted drum adapted to dis charge a coil of wire downwardly, a vertically movable contractible coil support below the drum, adapted, when expanded, to prevent removal of the coil from the support and, when contracted, to permit such removal, and yielding means normally sustaining the support in a raised position and permitting its depression by the Weight of the coil, the drum being provided with projections having inclined faces, and the arms being provided with complemental inclined faces adapted to cooperate with the faces of said projections in swinging the arms to, and confining the same in, their. operative positions when the support is raised, the arms being manually movable to their inoperative positions when the support is depressed.

7. In a wire-drawing machine, in combination, an inverted drum adapted to discharge a coil downwardly, and provided with downwardly projecting guide rods, and with projections having inclined faces surrounding said rods, a coil support comprising a head vertically movable on said guide rods, and a plurality of oscillatory arms seated on said head and adapted to swing on said guide rods, said arms having inclined faces complemental to the inclined faces of said members, and yielding means normally sustaining the support in a raised position with the inclined faces of the arms bearing on the inclined faces of the projections.

8. In a wire-drawing machine, in combination, an inverted drum adapted to discharge a coil downwardly, and provided with downwardly projecting guide rods, and with projections having inclined faces sur rounding said rods, a coil support comprising a head vertically movable on said guide rods, and a plurality of oscillatory arms seated on said head and adapted to swing on said guide rods, said arms having inclined faces complemental to the inclined faces of said members, and yielding means normally sustaining the support in a raised position with the inclined faces of the arms bearing on the inclined faces of the projections, the said head being provided with downwardly projecting stop rods arranged to limit the swinging movements of the arms.

9. In a wire-drawing machine, in combination, an inverted drum adapted to discharge a coil downwardly, and provided with downwardly projecting guide rods, and with projections having inclined faces surrounding said rods, a coil support comprising a head vertically movable on said guide rods, and a plurality of oscillatory arms &

seated on said head and adapted to swing on said guide rods, said arms havin inclined faces complemental to the incline faces of said members, and yielding means normally sustaining the support in a raised position with the inclined faces of the arms bearing on the inclined faces of the projections, the said head being provided with downwardly projecting stop rods arranged to limit the swinging movements of the arms, the arms being provided with arcuate flanges, and the head with holding-down ears with which said flanges are slidably engaged.

10. In a wire-drawing machine, in combination, a fixed dead stud, an inverted drum journaled on said stud, and provided with downwardly projecting guide rods, a vertically movable coil support below the drum, including a head movable on said guide rods and caused thereby to rotate with the drum, yielding means normally sustaining the support in a raised position and permitting its Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the depression by cally movable coil support below the drum,

including a head movable on said guide rods and caused thereby to rotate with the drum, yielding means normally sustaining the support in a raised position and permitting its depression by the weight of a coil of wire, and a dash-pot including a fixed annular member on the said head, one of said dash-pot members being provided with a valved air vent.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature.

JAMES A. HORTON,

Commissioner of Ea/cents,

Washington, 10. G.

dead stud, and a complee mental annular member carried by th said 

